SEND Information Report – September 2022

Mission Statement

As we walk with Jesus we live, love and learn.

St. Raphael’s Catholic Primary school is a vibrant, worshipping and welcoming community – a living example of our faith. Our mission statement informs all that we do.

St. Raphael’s Catholic Primary welcomes pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, as part of our community. Our aim is to maximize opportunities for all pupils so that they can achieve their full potential, personally, socially, emotionally and academically, in all areas of the curriculum, in an atmosphere of encouragement and respect. 

We adhere to the principles that are essential in developing an inclusive curriculum which include the active involvement of the child in their learning and the importance of taking their views into account - the positive process of learning being as important as the outcome. All staff are encouraged to adopt an interactive, supportive role and to use a range of strategies and resources to ensure their teaching is varied and adapted to suit the needs and learning style of the individual child.

This document is intended to give you information regarding the ways in which we support all our pupils including those with SEN and Disabilities, in order that they can reach their full potential. We are continually developing our skills, resources and techniques and modifying our provision to meet the changing requirements for individual children.

Children are identified as having SEN when their progress has slowed or stopped and the interventions and resources put in place do not enable improvement. Once this occurs, we have specific needs based support plans and pupil profiles which help support their development and accelerate progress.

What kinds of needs can be supported at our school?

Children with every type of need are supported at our school. We make our best efforts to ensure that every child in our school makes good progress and is well prepared for the next steps in their development towards their adult life. At St. Raphael’s our pupils have a wide range of needs including:

• Cognition and Learning; difficulties with accessing the curriculum, particularly in the core subjects.
• Communication and Interaction; including speech and language needs and social and interaction difficulties.
• Sensory and/or Physical Needs; difficulties with mobility, sight and hearing.
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties; including hyperkinetic disorders such as ADHD.

Who can I talk to about my child’s needs?

• Class Teacher
• Head of Year
• SENCo – Mrs Hynes
• Deputy Head
• Head Teacher

How do we identify children with Special Educational Needs?

Every child is assessed on entry to St. Raphael’s Catholic School. All children are different so we spend time identifying the needs of all children, before they enter school and throughout their school life. We always liaise with parents, the previous setting and with Outside Agencies if required. Children with SEND are formally identified using the criteria set out in the SEND Code of Practice 2015.

How are children’s needs identified on entry to Early Years?

As soon as we know that a child will definitely be attending our Early Years setting we start finding out more about the child so we can plan for their needs and ensure that they settle into our school happily and make good progress. We build a picture of the child through:

• Parent information meetings
• Discussion with parent
• Information from previous Nursery or Playgroup
• Information from Outside Agencies where appropriate e.g. Health Visitor, Speech and Language Therapy, Early Years SENCo, LA etc.
• Class visit and getting to know the teacher (Reception classes)
• Nursery Questionnaire
• Baseline Assessments
• Home visits 

How are children’s needs identified whilst children are at our school?

Pupil voice

• By their words or actions

All staff work hard to build a trusting relationship with the children in their care. Staff encourage children to be confident in expressing their needs or any concerns they might have.

Parent voice

• By formally or informally talking to the Class Teacher or SENCo
• Parent consultation evenings
• Parent workshops

Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns they have about their child with the class teacher.

Through Teacher assessments

Class Teachers monitor and assess their pupils’ needs on a daily basis and together with senior staff identify pupils’ needs through

• Discussion with pupils
• Pupil progress meetings
• Book scrutiny
• Termly data analysis
• Pupil feedback - responses to teachers’ comments through marking
• PSHE lessons
• Analysis of behaviour logs
• Sessions such as Social Skills groups
• During review meetings against SEN desired outcomes in SEN Support Plans

To ensure that children with SEND make progress, a cycle of assess-plan-do-review is used.

• Assess: The Class Teacher or SENCo will assess the needs of the child and may recruit an Outside Agency
• Plan: We identify the barriers to learning and plan support and intervention to meet targets.
• Do: Support is provided through high quality teaching and further interventions or strategies.
• Review: The impact of the support is assessed and if need be changes are made.

How do we work in partnership with parents of children with SEN?

Parents are kept fully informed if their child receives any form of additional support. It is important to note when a child is not making expected progress it does not necessarily mean the child has a special educational need. The child may narrow the gap through catch up interventions, additional resources and parental support. If however expected progress is not achieved, further intensive SEN provision may be required and advice sought from outside agencies.

We try and work closely with all our parents to ensure that all pupils are happy and make progress through:

• Communicating regularly and informally through home school link books, where necessary, and/ or phone calls, letters and quick informal chats at the beginning and/or end of the school days as and when needed.
• Having an open door policy so that parents can make appointments to see the Class Teachers or the SENCo when they are concerned and would like a longer discussion.
• For any child with an EHC Plan and for some children with more complex SEN, the school will work with parents and children to draw up a “one page profile” that describes a child’s needs and how they like to be supported so that it can be communicated quickly and easily to members of staff.
• Provide parents with a copy of the SEN Support Plan of the desired outcomes agreed for their child and the strategies and interventions set up in school to help them achieve them. SEN Support Plans will be reviewed with your involvement each term.
• Share reports and information from outside professionals involved with your child
• Hold an Annual Review for any child with an EHC Plan.
• Provide details of I SAID! (Ealing), SENDIASS (Hillingdon) and to other parent support groups.

How do we enable children with SEN to make decisions about their education?

We encourage all children, including those with SEN, to make decisions about their education. All children are expected to evaluate their own learning success and discuss their needs with their teacher. We do this in school through:

• asking questions in lessons
• asking questions in books
• direct discussion with teachers and support staff.

Children with SEN support

Children with SEN Support have a plan that outlines the support needed to achieve additional agreed outcomes to help them become confident young people and reach their full potential. These outcomes and the additional support needed to help the children achieve are reviewed and recorded termly by the class teacher in liaison with the SENCo.

An appointment is then made with parents, along with the Class Teacher and SENCo, in order to discuss/review and agree desired outcomes for the term ahead. Translators can be arranged once we have been given notice.

Children with an EHC Plan

In addition to termly review meetings we also hold an Annual Review meeting. We work with the parents and pupils to invite all the people needed in order to review the progress made against the outcomes in the EHC Plan. We aim to include the children’s views in this meeting in an appropriate way. Staff work with pupils to develop an ‘All about me’ profile of the child reflecting their views and wishes and any other information that the child wishes to share with the adults involved. Children can attend the whole of the Annual Review meeting if they wish – or just present their views.

How do we help children with SEN when they move to our school?

Before any child moves to our school we try to find out as much about them as possible to help them settle in quickly. All new children have the opportunity to come and visit the school and spend a short time in their new class so they know what to expect.

Once we know that a child has SEN we will meet with parents to decide on the desired outcomes we are all working towards, and develop a plan to support the child to achieve these aims. A copy of this plan will be shared with parents as soon as possible after the meeting. If required, some plans may detail a ‘transition plan’ to help the child settle into school easily and happily.

How do we help children when they move to another school?

Whenever any child moves to another school we always pass on school records to the new school.  If a child has SEN we also:

• Pass on SEN records to the new school including SEN Support Plans, or EHC Plans and ‘One Page Profiles’.
• Liaise with the SENCo/ Head of Year of the new school to clarify any information necessary.
• Organise extra visits to the school if required.
• We prepare a Transition booklet – e.g. drawing maps of the new school and/or working on a new one page profile for the new school.
• We invite the new school to the last annual review of a child with an EHC Plan and a transition plan can be set up as part of this meeting.

How do we help children when they move between classes and /or phases of education?

When moving classes in school:

• A transition meeting where all plans and information are shared with the new teacher in advance.
• Children visit their new class setting and meet their new teacher.
• A Transition booklet with photographs of new staff and environment when necessary.

How are adaptations made to the school to help children with SEN?

• Class Teachers plan lessons and teach according to the specific needs of all children in their class, and will ensure that your child’s needs are met.
• Planning and teaching will be adapted on a daily basis if needed to meet your child’s learning needs.
• Specially trained staff and outside professionals can advise on adaptations or modification to the teachers’ planning/environment to support the needs of your child where necessary
• Specific resources and strategies will be used to support your child individually and in groups
• Below is a list of some of the interventions we run to support learning:
• Comprehension Groups
• Pre-Teaching and Vocabulary Groups
• Phonics Groups (including 1:1 Tuition)
• Spelling Groups
• Writing Groups
• Reading Support
• Maths Groups
• 'Fresh Start' for KS2
• IDL Literacy and Numeracy
• Social Stories
• Speech and Language (including Lego Therapy, Zones of Regulation, Colourful Semantics, Talking Mats, Bucket Time, Box Clever, Intensive Interaction and PECS) 
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Pastoral Care
• Music Therapy
• Mindfulness Sessions
• Nursery Motor Programme
• The Fizzy Programme
• Social Skills
• Behaviour Support
• Booster Groups
• Lunchtime organised activities and friendship groups, such as 'Circle of Friends'.

What skills and training do our staff have?

Can the school work with other agencies/services?

The agencies we work with depend on the needs of the pupils in each academic year.

These agencies include:

• Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Occupational Therapy Service
• Paediatric Physiotherapy Service
• School Nursing Service
• Educational Psychology Service
• Social Services
• SAFE Team
• Ealing MHST
• Ealing Primary Centre
• Ealing Alternative Provision
• SENs Team
• Hillingdon Language Advisory Team

How do we support the emotional and social development of all of our children?

All staff implement a Positive Behaviour policy daily in our school. We also teach children strategies to help them socially and emotionally in the following lessons:

• PSHE lessons
• Circle time
• Assemblies
• Small group Interventions such as:
• Circle of Friends
• Social Skills
• Social Stories
• Playground Leaders
• Lego Therapy
• Box Clever

When necessary we also support children’s social and emotional development through individual support plans that teach social skills and coping strategies.

How will my child be included outside the classroom?

All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum and we aim for all children to be included on school trips. In the unlikely event that it is considered unsafe for a child to take part in an activity, then alternative activities which cover the same curriculum areas will be provided.

All children get the opportunity to apply to be elected on to the School Council or Eco Council.

All children are invited to Breakfast club and invited to participate in after-school clubs.

What support is available for children with medical needs?

All children with medical needs have a Health Care Plan. All staff are trained and updated annually on Health Care Plans. More intensive training is arranged for specific medical conditions.

What do I do if I am concerned about the quality or effectiveness of support my child is getting?

Parents have the following rights of redress, should the school, governors or LA fail in its duty to provide, or if the parent disagrees with a decision or feels that there is discriminatory practice:

• The school’s or LAs complaint procedure
• An appeal to the SEN and Disability Tribunal (LA decision)

But if you are concerned at any time please contact the school in this order:

1. Class Teacher
2. Head of Year
3. SENCo – Mrs Hynes
4. Deputy Head
5. Head Teacher
6. Chair of Governors

The schools complaints policy can be found on the school website.

Ealing’s local offer containing all the services provided for children with SEND can be found here; https://www.ealingfamiliesdirectory.org.uk/kb5/ealing/directory/localoffer.page?localofferchannelnew=0

September 2022

Appendix to be updated annually

Hillingdon Speech and Language Therapy

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/hillingdon-talks/about-hillingdon-talks/